The field of the present invention relates to headgear and, more specifically, to sweatbands with removable visors.
Recreational and professional athletes utilize and require various types of headgear depending upon factors such as the type of sport they are involved in, the weather conditions in which the headgear is to be worn and so forth. In each instance the athlete selects a headgear to provide several functions which may include, for example, a sweatband for absorbing perspiration, a headband which is generally lighter than a sweatband for holding the hair back away from the face, a visor for protecting the eyes and face from the sun, a cap for keeping the head warm or protecting the head from rain or any combination thereof. Other considerations for selecting a headgear may include comfort, the ability of the headgear to remain secure around an athlete's head without slipping, and whether the headgear is made of safe or soft materials that will not injure the athlete in, for example, a fall or collision with another athlete.
Along the same lines, an athlete requires a sports visor that is versatile enough to keep the sun out of the wearer's eyes without obstructing his field of vision. One of the primary problems with existing headgear/visor combination is that the visors are designed to extend from a fixed position underneath the base or bottom edge of the headgear. However, this positions the visor too close to the top of the wearer's eyes thereby obstructing the wearer's vision, both, upwardly and peripherally. Although this headgear/visor combination will shield the wearer's eyes from the sun, it will also block the wearer's field of vision making it difficult to, for example, adequately follow the trajectory of a fast-moving tennis ball. As a result it is rare to see professional athletes in fast moving sports such as tennis, wearing visors. A tennis player, for example, concerned with having a visor that blocks the sun, will forego using such a visor if it also blocks his forward and/or peripheral vision. As an alternative, some headgear such as the type used by baseball and volleyball players permits the visor to fold or flip upwardly away from the wearer's eyes to provide a greater range of vision. But, in this upwardly folded position, the visor does not protect the wearer's eyes from the sun requiring constant repositioning of the visor which may detrimentally spoil the athlete's concentration during the game.
Another important feature often desired is a sweatband with a removable visor that permits the sweatband to be worn alone. For example, a visor may not be required on a cloudy morning but may be required if the sun comes out later in the day. Also, the sweatband may be desired merely to hold the hair back away from the face. Along the same lines, interchangeable visors that can be positioned in different locations on the sweatband are also desired. Although removable visors exist, they can only be secured in singular or limited positions on the headgear. As a result the wearer is unable to adjust the visor to place it in a desired position on the sweatband or headgear.
It is also sometimes desirable to have a sweatband that permits a variety of different visors to be interchanged or used simultaneously. For example, a neck drape or cloth that hangs down the back of the visor may be desired to protect the back of the neck from the sun. Similarly, a visor that surrounds the entire circumference of the sweatband may be desired. However, there are many problems in existing headgear/visor combinations that prevent such an interchangeable feature. For example, many headgear/visor combinations provide only singular affixation means for mounting the visors and/or may not have the room or the means to mount more than one visor. In addition, they often require involved procedures to secure the visors to the headgear such as threading a headband through holes provided in the visor, buttoning the visor to the headgear, removing the headband to attach to the visor and so forth.
Another very important feature that is desired is a durable sweatband that adequately absorbs perspiration and/or supports a visor as compared with the typical headband which is merely a thin strip of non-absorbent material such as leather or an elastic strip of minimally absorbent material such as terry cloth. In other words, most headbands absorb very little moisture. When subjected to substantial amounts of perspiration, they become soggy to the point where they are uncomfortable or useless to wear. In addition, these headbands often lose their ability to support a visor.
Another desired feature in a sports visor is a sturdy and comfortable headgear and visor that can be securely worn and yet will not fly off the wearer's head when encountering substantial or high wind resistance. Oftentimes, for example, a baseball player loses his baseball cap while sprinting towards first base or to catch a fly ball. Although the baseball player is able to eventually retrieve his cap, another athlete, such as a sailor on a racing boat; may not have that luxury. Several problems contribute to the inability of a headgear to support a visor. One aspect is that the visor often exceeds the weight of the headgear, enabling wind or the like to pull the headgear off the head upon encountering wind or the like. Another aspect is that the visors, being secured from underneath the base or bottom edge of the headgear, may contact the wearer's head, making it uncomfortable or impossible for the wearer to tighten the headgear around his head, and leading to slippage or the like. That is, tightening the headgear causes the visor edge to dig into the wearer's forehead.
Along the same lines headgear with removable visors often fall apart or separate when encountering substantial wind resistance or the like. In other words, the visor may be blown off of or separate from the headgear. One reason for this problem is that the associated visors are too heavy and/or thick to be supported by the headgear or, alternatively, the headgear is too light to adequately hold the visor. Still further, a related problem is that the headgear is typically adjusted to conform to the wearer's head with an elastomeric band or the like, which typically loses its elasticity upon washing. Consequently, over time, these bands may lose their ability to be adjusted securely against the head.
Comfort and safety are also important features required in a sports visor This requires, for example, that the headband be made of a soft, sturdy material and that the visor be lightweight, flexible and without hard, sharp edges. Many existing sports visors, for example, utilize metal buttons, plastic headband adjusters, thin ropes or pre-formed and molded visors, which all can be painful when pressed against the wearer's head in order to secure them.